Micromechanical actuators have been disclosed for moving or adjusting elements such as mirrors for optical systems. In almost all cases it is necessary to continuously apply power to maintain the position of the actuator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,906 to Jerman et al describes a linear actuator with large displacement that can be continuously adjusted over its range. U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,817 to Dhuler et al describes a thermal actuator system including a latch for reducing the power required by the actuator during use. Neither of these patents, however, disclose an actuator that can be moved to an arbitrary position and held in place.
In general, it is an object of the invention to provide a microactuator having a braking mechanism.
Another object of the invention is to provide a microactuator having a braking mechanism that allows moving the microactuator to a given location and holding the actuator in that location.
Another object of the invention is to provide a microactuator having a braking mechanism for holding the microactuator at arbitrary positions along the range of travel of the microactuator.